http://www.rmc.fr/editorial/135612/batum-je-veux-quon-se-souvienne-de-moi/

via www.rmc.fr

Nicolas Batum, what is your opinion of your start to the season, that seems to be the best of your short career in the NBA?

Everything is going really well.  I’m finally finding my place in Portland’s attack.  I’ve found a routine in my game and that is very important in the NBA.  There wasn’t any particular trigger, just signs of confidence from the team.  I’ve had numerous discussions with the coach and I’ve found that he thinks very highly of me.  That touched me because he insists that I have to be strong at both ends of the court and not just on defense.  My teammates also give me the advantage of confidence.  I have the support of the whole team, and that gives me wings to fly.  I am free (laughs).  But it is also pressure in a way.  Having seen the team this summer trade all the players I was competing with, that gave me a boost.  I worked a lot for two years and now I’m gathering the rewards.  But something that is good in my game is that even though I am scoring more points than last year, I’m still performing on defense.  I have also changed my status on the team.  I am talking more in the locker room, I am more respected.  There are a lot of small details that are changing for me.  The coach has clearly told me that I need to be the person who talks most with Camby during defensive sequences.  I try to become the boss, to be the No. 1 stopper on the team, but also to back up my teammates.

The respect of your opponents, has it also changed?

Clearly yes.  Sometimes I hear "Watch out for Batum!", "he is dangerous".  The opposing coaches focus on me a little more.  I see it, I feel it.  Tayshaun Prince, of the Detroit Pistons, told me that he is following me, that I should continue on this path, and that I am his favourite player.  I know that I can do something in this league.  I have the feeling of having really established myself in the NBA.  I don’t want to be in the NBA, go there, take the money, and come home.  I want to play, to win, to be remembered.  When I first went to Portland, Vincent Collet demanded of me that I not go to the NBA just to play, but to dominate.  That is exactly what I want.  It’s cool to be here, but me, I want more!  I do what I can every night.  That seems logical to me.  In France, this may seem arrogant when I say that, but Tony Parker was saying the same things ten years ago.  And afterwards, if I have done just half of what he has, then I will be NBA champion and an All-Star at least one (laughs).

Have you set yourself personal goals?

I haven’t quantified my goals.  I just want to be more present, and become a supplementary weapon for the team.  If they pay more attention to me, that creates openings for my teammates.  I know that I am on the way to crossing a line.  But to say already that I will be the next MIP, it’s too soon.  That would please me.  It isn’t really a goal of mine, but if they give it to me, I will take it.  My first goal this year is to advance the team.  I work for that.  The All-Star game, that comes a little early.  It would be hard for me, but with work, everything is possible.  In life, you have to set goals and that is part of my ambitions, to go there one day.  I work to become one of the best.  But I do not lose my head over it!  One day, it will pay off.  With my injury, my shoulder problems last year, I played 40 games in total.  Today, I am hungry!  I do not know if I am lucky.  But after I came to the Blazers, if Martell Webster did not get hurt, where would I be today?  I have a feeling that my lucky star never left me.  Wherever I go, it works!  If someone told me a month ago that I would have the results I have now, I would have laughed…

It's almost Thanksgiving, a time when we especially remember what we have to be thankful for.  And even with all that's happened in the past few days, we as Blazer fans have a lot to be thankful for.


I'm thankful that the discussion is "will we miss the playoffs this year", not "will we make it up to .500 this season".  How long ago was it that this was a goal? 

I'm thankful that the Jailblazer era is gone.  We don't need worry about players getting in trouble with the law.

I'm thankful for the memories from last season.  Yes, each new injury felt like a slap in the face, but the ups and the downs made it worth the journey.  Who can forget Andre Miller's 52 points against Dallas, the win in L.A. (you know which team), or the chants of Mar-cus Cam-by?  Would we have those memories without the injuries?  Almost certainly not. 

I'm thankful for Blazersedge.  I live far from Portland.  This is really my only place to talk about the Blazers.  Even the annoying posters are Blazer fans too.

I am thankful for Brandon Roy.  The miracle shot against Houston, 52 points against Phoenix, torching that team from L.A. in the Rose Garden...  Roy has been a great player for Portland, deservedly the face of the franchise.  Even if his knees stop him playing to that level again, it's been a great few years.  Thank you, Brandon.

I am thankful for Lamarcus Aldridge.  He's been a rock for many years.  Rarely does he blow up to where you look back and say "Adridge won us that game", but his quiet contributions have made the difference so many times.  He may not outright win the game, but he puts you in a position where somebody else can do it.  He must be one of the most criticized Blazers in this forum, but I'm still thankful for him. 

Nicolas Batum... well, most of you probably know what I think of Nico.  My favorite player, and it's not even close.  I'm thankful for his lockdown defense, for his silky smooth shot, for his effortless dunks, and for him being Nicolas Batum.  Long may you remain a Blazer, Nico. 

How can anyone not be thankful for Marcus Camby?  There was one thread not long ago where I compared his arrival in Portland to the battle before Minas Tirith.  That comment went green, and I never figured out quite why.  Anyway, I was talking about Camby.  Just when hope seemed to be lost, Marcus Camby came, swatting shots, flinging up his trebuchet jumper, and tipping in missed shots.  Like Aldridge, rarely will you look back and point to him as the game winner, but you might well have never been in a position to win that game if it hadn't been for him.  I hope red and black is your last uniform, Marcus.  Many thanks to you, too.

Dante has always been a spark off the bench.  Even when everyone else seems to be flat and disinterested, Mr. Cunningham always goes out and hustles.  There's never a loose ball without Dante trying his level best to track it down.  Dante is one of those players who can turn a game in a few minutes just by going out and playing hard.  He loves to play, and sees every minute of floor time as a chance to earn more.  Keep it up, Dante.

Rudy Fernandez took a lot of heat around here over the summer.  Some of it was deserved.  Much of it I personally believe was undeserved.  Despite the media circus, I'm still thankful that Rudy Fernandez is on this team.  Rudy can win you games.  So thank you Rudy, but please do fire your agent.  And then give us more of this.

I've only seen Wesley Matthews play a few games.  Much of the time he seemed to be trying to force things, and struggling as a result.  In the last couple of games, though (which I have been sadly unable to watch), it sounds like he's been the reason for one in the "W" column (and that W stands for both Win and Wesley).  So thanks, Wesley.  You've not had that much time yet, but you're doing pretty well so far.  You're going to be worth all that money Paul Allen is paying you.  Glad to have you (thanks for the video, Ben).

Andre Miller is one of the reasons this team didn't quit last season.  He's another who is usually a quiet contributor, but he can sure take over a game!  The ironman of the NBA, he is one of the players you can count on being there and contributing just about every night.  He rolls an ankle? No problem, give him a couple minutes of rest and he'll be right back out there for you.  He rolls the other one too?  "Just let me rest it for a minute coach, I'll be fine."  Thank you Andre.  Just stay on the ground most of the time, we can't have you getting hurt.  But a little more of this would be acceptable.

Joel Przybilla is another of those guys that you can't help but be glad he's on your team.  So many times he has stepped up when needed.  He loves Portland.  He chose to stay in Portland, even at a low point.  He believes in this team.  And he's coming back very soon.  Somebody get more of this guy's highlights on youtube.   See you soon, Joel.

I'm thankful for the rookies too.  Babbitt, Johnson, and Williams.  Armon is the only one who's getting much playing time at the moment, and it was fun to watch for the few games that I got to see.  Elliot, thanks for a few impressive dunks.  Get well soon, and I hope you get your chance next year.  Babbitt?  Thanks for turning Tom into your fan.  There's not really much to say about you yet, but come next year I'm sure there will be.

Patty, thanks for the fun videos.  Thanks for that hilarious out-of-bounds "give me the ball!" moment.  I hope you never need to play much, but you're sure a lot of fun to have around.

Sean Marks, thanks for filling in.  I hope we don't need you anymore after Przy gets back, but thanks for being there if we do.

I'm thankful for the former Blazers too.  Jeff, Sergio, Jerryd, Blake, Trout, Howard...  I miss Jerryd.  He was the only one who gave Nico a run for his money, but Frenchy beat him out.  Thanks for the fun memories guys.  Good luck wherever your careers take you, unless you're playing Portland.  And Jeff, I hope we see you back next season.

No, I've not forgotten him.  I am thankful for Greg Oden.  While I never called myself a Blazer fan while he was playing, it was still a lot of fun to watch.  Now that "fun to watch" has become special memories.  Thank you for making me into a Blazer fan Greg.  Thanks for all the special moments, for all the huge dunks, for all the amazing blocks.  I firmly believe that you have a long career ahead of you, and that it will be in Portland.  Even if I am wrong, you're always going to have a special place in my heart.  #52.

I am thankful that I am a Blazer fan.  It's a great day to be one.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical expert, I don't know all the facts, and I don't have a perfect memory.  There's probably something inaccurate in here somewhere.  However, with that said, this post is primarily about the facts that we do have, not about speculation.


On December 5th, 2009, Greg Oden went down with a fractured patella.  The next day, he had surgery.  Speaking to the media, GM Kevin Pritchard said that the bone should be healed in two months, but that after a long period of inactivity, the muscles would take two months further to heal.  There was no ligament damage.  The only injury was to the bone.  The surgeon who operated said that Greg had very thick, very strong bones [Edit: I misremembered.  It was not the surgeon, it was Jay Jensen.  See my comment down below for the quote].  

 17 days later, Joel Przybilla ruptured a tendon in his patella.  He also underwent successful surgery.  The team announced that he would be out for the rest of the season, but then was expected to be back for training camp.  But then, early in March, he slipped in the shower, re-tore the tendon, and needed surgery again.  At the time, there seemed to be a general feeling that his career was likely over.  So why is he now back, practicing, and expecting to be playing in just a few weeks, and we still have no timetable for Greg Oden?

Continue reading this post »

Please note, this is not an article I wrote, this is a translation.  I had originally posted it with the Batum interview, but Natsthecat assured me it was fine to post them separately.  Don't blame me!

Also, go take a look at the link, they have some highlight videos with the article.  Yes, I could have included them here, but that site has a lot of good stuff, especially Batum related, so I'm happy to send them the traffic. 

http://basketsession.com/clyde-drexler-blazer-for-ever/

Even though it was with Houston that he finally won a title, Clyde Drexler will always be a Blazer.

The NBA is not Hollywood.  [And some of us are very glad of it!]  There are no happy endings in the NBA.  History recognizes its own.  Clyde Drexler won a title with Houston, but “The Glide” will always remain a Trailblazer in the hearts of fans.  Like Malone with the Jazz, Payton with the Sonics, Ewing with New York, Dominique with the Hawks.  Is MJ a Wizard?  Drexler is no more a Rocket than Pippen or Barkley.

The title didn’t change anything, any more than his bad television commentary.  For Drexler didn’t need it to make his career a success, 20.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.2 steals, in his 14 year career, 10-time All Star, member of the Dream Team.  One of the 50 best players in history, always extremely athletic, but overshadowed by MJ, Drexler was the heart of the Blazers heyday, that of Rick Adelman.

A complete team, altruistic, without ego, and one of the best teams to have never won a title because of two exceptional enemies who met in the final.  Pistons 90, Bulls 92.  The Blazers were not Jason Kidd’s Nets.

No, certainly, the NBA is not Hollywood, the good guys rarely win.  Only the strong survive, only the killers are recognized by history.  Drexler was old school, no frills in his playing, no humiliation of the opponent, just class.  No drugs, no tattoos, no controversy, politically correct so that the commissioner did not need to worry.  But Clyde had more personality than Stockton or Frazier.  It is perhaps for this, despite his status as a Hall of Famer, that he will never be considered one of the truly great.

Clyde was not Larry, Michael, or Kobe.  He didn’t have that intangible, the killer instinct.  That was why he fit so well in the Rose City, because Portland is not Chicago.  There was no infidelity in the way he ended his career, Mr. Nice Guy wanted a title, and he got it (with a big check too).  But the irony of history is that it is not his participation in the sweep over Orlando that is remembered.  But the symbol of the height of his career is his duel at the very top with MJ, wearing a black and red jersey.

This interview was shortly after Turkey knocked France out of the World Championships.  Sorry for taking so long to translate it, something kept coming up whenever I was planning to.

http://basketsession.com/nicolas-batum-on-a-joue-avec-les-armes-quon-avait/

What did you think of this match ?

We tried to do things well, to play hard.  But against euphoria like that, and 76 million people behind them, you can’t do anything.  We did some things well, the first 15 minutes we showed that we were there, but then we started to doubt.  They scored off our turnovers, they didn’t make their 3-point shots, but they still had the upper hand every time.  They did well at 1 on 1, we couldn’t really do anything.  At the end of the first half, we let up, and let them get easy layups, we didn’t really play defense.  At the end of the third quarter, we knew we were behind by 25 points, and we didn’t want to take it anymore, but we tried to get it under 20 points to show a little pride and honor.

Their zone caused you problems ?

They had a very atypical zone, it was very very hard.  It was disturbing because there were a lot of spaces, it seemed too easy.  We only had two days to learn it, they had two months, and they learned it to perfection.  They are big, they move well, they take up space, it is difficult to attack.

What are your feelings as you leave this competition ?

These world championships leave me with mixed feelings.  With the way we started, we had high ambitions.  Lithuania, they had good tactics and they were too strong for us, as you saw.  But New Zealand really got us down, that is perhaps the single biggest regret that we have.  We could have gotten an easier opponent.

Things perhaps would have been different if the absentees had come?

Since July 25th, we weren’t preoccupied about those who weren’t there, we had the team that we had, and I don’t think we need to be ashamed about what we did.  We tried to give a good picture of French basketball, we played with the weapons we had, and we tried to make France and French basketball proud of us, and I think we succeeded.  We showed courage, selflessness, and I am really proud to have done it with these guys.

What is your personal assessment ?

Personally, I have frustrations, I did some things well and there were games where I made a complete mess.  This was my first world championships with the A’s [I’m guessing he means as a starter], last year there were Tony, Ronny, and I was behind them.  This was the first time that I was at the front in a competition like this, and I learned a lot.

My usual disclaimer applies.  My French is far from perfect.  If I've messed something up, let me know and I'll correct it.

http://basketsession.com/nicolas-batum-on-va-etre-pret-pour-lespagne/

Just after the defeat by Brazil in their final preparation match, Nicolas Batum gave us a few moments to comment on the Blues preparation and their expectations for the world championships.

Comments on the last match?

 A good first half, I think that we had a lot of satisfaction for our matchup at first, we relaxed a little too much for five minutes, and we payed for it.  After we tried to come back, but they were too consistent in their efforts to finish the match.  All the same, it’s reassuring, because we played so well in the first half, and we know that we can do it for 40 minutes, so that’s what we’ll need to do at the world championships.

Is it  fair to say that your preparation has alternated between very very good, and very bad ?

Yes, I think that we have a little too much lack of consistency for my liking, but if we can remove this problem for Turkey, we can do really big things.  This will show in certain sequences, we have a really extraordinary level of intensity!

 You think that you are ready ?

Yes, because we have really learned a lot about oursleves, learned how to approach matches well. We have made a lot of errors and now we know that these are things we should not do.  I think that we will watch lots of video, I know that tonight we will all get a USB card with a montage of practically all the action from our preparation, so that we will be ready for Spain!

 Preparation is finished now, what do you think of this French team ?

We’ve talked a lot about the absence of Tony, Ronny, Joakim, but we still have a team that can do a few things.  We have some good players, some very good young players have come through.  For example, we have seen the impact of Andrew, Edwin, and Fabien, when they came on the scene, they had an immediate impact.  Yannick, it’s extraordinary what he’s done with Nando at the [mène, I think this means ‘point’], after we had the performances of Boris and Flo who managed the team well [the French is ‘après on a des cadres comme Boris et Flo qui gèrent bien l’équipe’, I’m not certain of my translation here], Ali who has had some big performances, Alain who made a good entrance tonight, so we really have a sufficiently homogenous group who can be really consistent and do some nice things in Turkey.

 You are leaving for Turkey feeling confident ?

 Yes!

Comments on the match against Spain ?

 This will be a difficult match against the favorites, world champions, European champions, and Olympic silver medallists, perhaps the second-best team in the world, if not the best.  We will have no pressure, but I think that we will have a little revenge to take after last year, so we will try to win this match and get a good start to the competitions.

 Your expectations for these world championships ?

 I’ve always said, for me the minimum is the quarterfinals.

Interview by BehindBasketball.com